Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Many property owners are unaware of the potential risks
involved with looking after and maintaining garden trees. However, you are
legally responsible for the maintenance of your trees and may be liable to
prosecution if damage or injury occurs due to falling timber, irrespective of
the circumstances.

So, how can you protect yourself and mitigate your
liability?

A simple tree inspection, carried out by property owners is
often over-looked, but could offer you a great insight into the general health
of your trees. By simply looking at the general condition of the stem, branches
and foliage can tell you more than enough to determine if a tree is healthy or
not.

The stem should not have any significant cracks, holes or
fungal growths. The branches should be free from damage and checked for dead
sections. The foliage should have a consistent colour, density and coverage
across the tree for the season.

But what are fungal growths, what do they look like and what
do they mean to your tree?

There are numerous fungi species in the UK, but the two
types below are the most common identified within gardens:

Honey Fungus - Attacks
the root system of trees. Look for white fungal growths between the bark and
the timber, near the base of the tree, with possible honey coloured toadstools
appearing in autumn. Affecting Birch, Beech, Holly and Willow to name a few.

This is the most destructive fungal disease in UK gardens as
it continues to feed on the decaying timber after killing it, and spreads
through an extensive root system at 1
meter per year. During periods of hot dry weather, sudden autumn colours or
dying branches could indicate failure of the root system.

Bracket Fungi are fan shaped growths which appear on the
exterior of the tree after developing internally within the heart wood. Less
common than honey fungus, they affect Ash, Beech, Walnut, Apple and Elm and
appear during spring, summer or autumn, but weakened trees may fail at any
time.

Internally, the tree
is rotting and may sound hollow when tapped with a mallet. Bracket fungi,
reproduces by releasing spores into the atmosphere which are transported by
wind to other potential host trees. If you do find and remove these brackets,
please keep one to assist your tree surgeon or inspector to determine the
health and extent of damage to the affected tree.

Prior to fungal growths appearing,
you may notice significant die back of branches and foliage, with occasional
branches falling from the tree acting as a prime indicator that the heart wood
has already failed. Unfortunately, this fungal disease will require the tree to
be removed to prevent injury or damage to property.

If you have any doubt with the condition
of your trees, you should contact your local tree surgeon and/or the local
council Tree Officer for advice and guidance. For a free no obligation quote
for all aspects of tree work in Lymm and surrounding areas call Tree Tamers on
07919544153 or email info@treetamers.co.uk.

More specific information regarding Fungi may be obtained on www.rhs.org.uk

Wednesday, 7 January 2015

Last winter saw
some the worst storms in British history with the wettest winter on record.
Wind speeds peaked at circa 108 mph in places and the Forestry Commission
estimated that nearly 30 million trees may have been damaged. The Great Storm of
’87 only damaged 15 million in comparison.

Last year, the
Telegraph suggested that insurance claims cost in the region of £1 billion to
clear up the devastation, with a high proportion of this damage coming from
trees or branches falling on to properties. Also, your insurance company may only pay out in the event of a sudden and unforeseen event as a result of storm conditions. If, when they inspect the debris, they discover a pre-existing weakness in the tree structure, which could have been addressed through general maintenance prior to the storm, they may not accept your claim as a result of negligence!

Additionally, if you were to make a claim against your house insurance, they may only cover the cost of removing the bare minimum to facilitate the repair required. The remaining debris is then considered to belong to the property owner, and therefore becomes your responsibility to dispose of it.

With this seasons
storms being currently forecast as well on their way, it may be time to do some
damage limitation of your own. Trees with a large canopy can be affected in much
the same way as a sail, but once the tension on the trunk and root system
reaches its peak, the tree may break up and/or be uprooted entirely.

To minimise the
potential for damage, there are a few options available (and yes – one is
to remove the potential threat in its entirety).

Firstly however, property
owners can carry out an assessment for themselves by considering the proximity
of buildings, and searching for obvious signs of damage (cracks) to trunks or
branches, branches rubbing across one and another or signs of fungi. Council
Tree Officers may also be able to offer advice, particularly if a preservation order
is in place.

Secondly, thinning out the crown of a tree, by removing interior branches and any ivy
present, will decrease the density and therefore allow more wind to pass through, as
opposed to catching on the foliage (as ivy is evergreen) and increasing the
potential for them to blow over. Some species can even cope with being pollarded (willow) or reduced in height (leylandii).

Thirdly,
as I said above, you can remove the tree entirely – however this shouldn't give
cause to remove all trees ‘just in case’. Rather, you could re-plant with more
wind resistant species or smaller specimens appropriate for the size of your
property. Consider the maximum height and spread a species may achieve in time, and ensure
you have at least 1.5 times that from any property (to minimise the potential of
damaging property if they did uproot, and also as wind-blown trees may actually
snap near the tops and be catapulted from the canopy itself!)

Basic pruning techniques are not beyond the seasoned gardener, however, when the need to access the canopy from a rope and harness arises, you should consider contracting a professional tree surgeon, who will complete the necessary work
safely, accurately and efficiently whilst removing all necessary waste for you
and leaving your garden nice and tidy.